1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to adaptors and more particularly to adaptors for joining funnels to barrels cans and bottles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the better kept secrets in the mechanical arts is that the common funnel requires two hands to operate. That is fine, of course, if the product being dispensed is capable of being carried in one hand, since the other hand is used to keep the funnel from tipping. If the aperture on the container being filled were large enough, the sides of the funnel would rest on the ring of the aperture. If this were so, there would be little need for a funnel. In the practical situation, the average user has an open top container or pail that holds five or six quarts of hot motor oil or anti freeze and is attempting to be environmentally prudent and pour the contents into a 55 gallon drum or other small mouthed container. Experience shows that using a funnel in this situation requires at least three hands, two for the container and one to hold the funnel upright. The commonly used alternative is to attempt to maneuver the funnel with the edge of the container as the fluid is poured, this approach has been found to lack merit and usually ends up spilling more fluid than finally ends up in the container.
Funnels aimed at avoiding the problem of spillage include, U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,623 issued Nov. 3, 1970 to Fisher and discloses a funnel that accepts a container and seals it in such a manner that it is nearly impossible for fluid to accidently escape. U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,721 issued Aug. 28, 1990 to Moore et al. discloses an oil drain funnel with a means to release and capture a drain plug in the funnel. A U.S. Design Patent was issued on Feb. 16, 1993 to Rigel, No. Des. 333,336 for a funnel for oil but it is unclear how this invention constitutes a funnel. It appears however that there are external threads on one end and a valve in the lower end of the tube near the threads. Another U.S. Design Pat. No. 334,514 was issued on Apr. 6, 1993 to Fidler for an attachable funnel. The stem of the funnel includes an apparatus which will apparently attach to something in some unknown and unexplained fashion. An oil drain funnel is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,426 issued Nov. 9, 1993 to Burleigh et al. which, in principle, resembles the above mentioned patent to Moore et al. utilizing a support for a socket wrench which will remove the drain plug when the funnel is placed against the plug and turned.
The prior art fails to show an adapter for a funnel that will allow the funnel to be attached to vessels and containers having different size apertures.